“For (the next) five years, I must accept to have a president (who speaks) slipshod English,” wrote music composer Tya Subiakto early this week on her Twitter account, venting her disappointment over Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s winning in the Indonesian presidential election. The message is clear: Oh Indonesia, we finally have a president who doesn’t speak good English! Few months back, TvOne – known for its support to Jokowi’s rival Prabowo Subianto – made a report comparing the two candidates’ English skill. Citing that Indonesia cannot detach itself from the international scene, such as the G21, the ASEAN Summit and the Non-Aligned Movement, the newscaster said, “for this reason, English proficiency has somewhat become a requirement for Indonesia’s future president.” The report went on showing clips of Jokowi speaking English in his thick Javanese accent, and with some errors – far from Prabowo, who spoke English quite fluently. All this tickled me. I guess both Tya and TvOne haven’t ever heard or read about some famous world’s leaders whose English is far from perfect. I used to read an article on former French President Nicolas Sarkozy who speaks very bad English, and I asked about this to my French friends. This had later stirred some discussion among my other foreigner friends, who shared stories on their own leaders. But wait… don’t quickly believe in them (or me). Find your own way to Google and Youtube to confirm your doubts. The fact is, Sarkozy failed from his higher education at SciencesPo – a prestigious institution for many France’s political elites, due to his inadequate English. Once in 2010, Sarkozy apologized to Hillary Clinton for the bad weather, saying, “sorry for the time”, in which he translated le temps (which means weather in this context) simply into “time”. A report by FranceTV titled “Do you speak English mister President?” cited political communication specialist Christian Delporte as saying, “look at Nicolas Sarkozy. He does not speak English but that did not stop him from taking part in the political landscape abroad.” His successor François Hollande is no different. Once, he even made a mistake in his official letter to Obama, ending his message with the word “friendly” – something he mistranslated from the French expression “amicalement”. Let’s now move on to Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Have you seen him speaking English? If you wish to see it now, be careful with your migraine. In most of media interviews in English, he answered in Russian. No big deal! Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi are two of a kind. They speak poor English, and you can prove it yourself on Youtube. Then, who doesn’t know German Chancellor Angela Merkel? Unless she could read some prepared texts, she rarely speaks English in public, and just like Putin, she prefers to answer English interviews in German. She once even confidently addressed to the U.S. Congress in German. During my visit to Germany in 2005, where former German chancellor Helmut Kohl spoke in front of hundreds of international students, it was obvious that none of us understood his German-English speech. My German coach told me: “Sorry, he actually doesn’t speak English!” If you want to see more famous names in my list, here we go: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe –all of them avoid speaking in English, and rely on their interpreters in official occasions. Rajoy even admitted in a TV show: “No, I don’t speak English.” So, we have leaders from Spain, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Russia and France who are not perfect in English. And that doesn’t make them or their countries appear less powerful in the international scene. Look at Indian PM Narendra Modi who defends his national language by choosing Hindi for diplomatic talks, despite his ability in English. So, why should we feel ashamed of having Jokowi who speaks English with his thick Javanese accent? All those leaders do have their own accents too. They’re not native English, anyway. Tya and all skeptics should remember one thing: even former president Soeharto had relied on his interpreter for over 30 years. In any case, just like Christian Delporte said, “Leaders are surrounded by advisers who are obliged to master this language (English) to sign treaties, negotiate...” So, don’t worry, just like all those powerful leaders above, Jokowi should be just fine. Paris, 25 July 2014Dian Kuswandini

The young Yves Saint Laurent sat nervously in a press conference. It was the big day weeks after the death of fashion legend Christian Dior. The initial plan had been to shut down the Dior House, and everyone knew that would shake the financial stability of the whole French fashion industry. This had left the house’s management to the only option — to appoint a new head designer that could save the label. And no one believed that the mandate would go to the new kid on the block: Saint Laurent, who was only 21 and didn’t even finish his fashion education. This 1957 event was brought again into life in a recent cinema release “Yves Saint Laurent”, the ‘official’ biopic of the late designer dubbed the prince of fashion. Everyone would not forget that one scene where a journalist strongly asked Saint Laurent with a question: “Do you not feel too young to be heading up the largest Haute Couture fashion house in France?” Though Saint Laurent admitted he felt anxious, he also said he was happy and proud. “I’m scared of being failed,” said the Algeria-born designer. “But I’ll do my best and to the end. I’ll give you my word on that.” Dramatic and gloomy — with a splash of tension, the movie directed by Jalil Lespert sheds light on how Saint Laurent’s romantic relationship with millionaire Pierre Bergé inspired his works and influenced his career as they built together the YSL Couture House. It walks us through the bittersweet life of manic-depressive Saint Laurent, who fell for his beautiful supermodel best friend Victoire, yet later found his true love in Bergé, who shouldered him as he plunged into alcohol, drugs and emptiness. In one scene, Saint Laurent — played by Pierre Niney — traced back to his tortured days as a homosexual in the Muslim country Algeria. It also took the audience back to those days when the extremely timid and nervous designer constantly refused to face journalists and always trembled as he walked down the runway at the end of his shows.Niney’s job in the movie deserves two thumbs. His physical resemblance to Saint Laurent is doubled with his ability to sketch designs — the new skill he acquired after a training for his role. He perfectly played the passionate and audacious Saint Laurent, who beat his friend-turned-rival Karl Lagerfeld (now at Chanel and Fendi) in a fashion competition, then amazed former French Vogue chief editor Michel de Brunhoff with his sketches, which bear a strong resemblance to those of Christian Dior — despite the two had never met before. Brunhoff sent the sketches to Dior who hired Saint Laurent as his assistant right away. It took Saint Laurent only almost two years before he replaced Dior and started his reputation as an avant-garde and anti-conformist designer. His iconic Trapeze dresses stole the world’s attention and his Le Smoking collection is widely credited as the first ever tuxedo suits made for women in the fashion history. Saint Laurent’s provocative side as the first designer to use ethnic models is also recounted in the movie, where it shows the designer chose black models and a Maghrebi woman with hijab for his fashion shows. His famous quote, “Chanel freed women, and I empowered them”, rings true in the film. As the movie especially highlights the designer’s younger days, don’t expect to see his dark moment of beating brain cancer, the disease that sent him to his last breath in 2008. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered around the house and the garden he owned with Bergé in Marrakech, Morocco, the place of inspiration for many of his works. “Yves Saint Laurent” was unveiled for the French public on January 8. The French-language movie will be screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February and the international release is set for May this year. The movie received an approval from Bergé, thus said to be an ‘official’ biopic of the designer. Meanwhile, a rivalry production titled “Saint Laurent” is also planned to be released this year with Gaspard Ulliel playing as the designer. Bergé has threatened to sue the second movie as it highlights the couple’s relationship without his permission. Being the head of the Pierre Bergé-Saint Laurent Foundation, the co-owner of Le Monde newspaper is known to be very protective over Saint Laurent’t reputation.Click here to watch the Yves Saint Laurent trailer.http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/blogs/yves-saint-laurent-biopic-remembering-the-prince-of-fashion/

Say the word “fashion”, and all we think is the latest trends. But as we enter 2014, let’s see something else other than those cool inspirations from fashion weeks. In a retrospective way, we’ve chosen for you the best stories from the fashion scene in 2013.Marc Jacobs left Louis Vuitton, breathing new life into Diet Coke After 16 years as Louis Vuitton’s creative director, Marc Jacobs finally called it quits. Dismissing the rumor that he took an offer from Dior, he’s now focusing on his labels Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs, as well as took a new challenge as Diet Coke creative director. Jacobs was replaced by Nicolas Ghesquière, formerly at Balenciaga.Balenciaga sued Nicolas Ghesquière As he started his new journey at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière also began his saga with Balenciaga, where he worked as creative director for 15 years. Balenciaga sued him for “breach of duty of confidentiality” as he criticized the house in the media after his departure.Yves Saint Laurent changed its name 2013 should be a relieving year for confused customers struggling to pronounce “Yves Saint Laurent”. With new creative director Hedi Slimane onboard, the fashion house re-branded itself as Saint Laurent Paris. Amid criticism, Slimane said the change was to restore YSL to its identity, when the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche line was launched in 1966, promising to maintain the iconic YSL logo.Saint Laurent’s CEO left for Apple Still from Saint Laurent: its CEO Paul Deneve left for Apple. The Business of Fashion has suggested that Deneve had been recruited as Apple’s vice president to develop and launch its wearable technology, including the rumored iWatch.Dolce & Gabbana have been found guilty of tax evasion Just after being named billionaires by Forbes for the first time, duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were handed in April a fine of €500,000 and a jail sentence of 20 months for a “sophisticated tax fraud”. The case followed the sale of D&G and Dolce & Gabbana to a holding company in Luxembourg, which, according to Italian prosecutors, has allowed them to evade €400 million.Gucci lost its battle against Guess May 2013 marked Guess’ winning over Gucci in a four-year dispute. Gucci filed a lawsuit against Guess in 2009 in New York and Milan, accusing the latter of counterfeiting and trademark infringement, particularly for the use of a similar “G” stamp. While Gucci won its battle in New York in 2012, the Milan Court this time was in favor of Guess.Gucci lost his GG trademark in UK The UK Intellectual Property Office revoked in November Gucci’s interlocking double G logo for a lack of use. Consequently, the Italian brand cannot protect the logo for its bags, watches and clothes in the UK. The British law allows a revocation of a trademark if it’s not used within five years of their registration. It was fashion brand Gerry Weber that applied in 2012 for the logo to be repealed for a lack of use since 2003.Hermès vs LVMH: the saga continues Hermès sued two times the world’s largest luxury group Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) in 2013 following the latter’s acquisition of a stock in Hermès. In June 2013, the French Financial Markets Authority fined LVMH $10.5 million for breaching disclosure requirements while quietly building its stake in Hermès to 17.1 percent from 2002 to 2010. As LVMH’s stake has been upped ever since, the Hermès family has been finding ways to prevent any hostile takeover.Inventor of the term ‘fashionista’ apologized Writer Stephen Fried, who claims to have invented the word “fashionista” in 1993, has apologized for creating a “word of terrifying power and controversy”. “Fashionista” has been used with both positive and negative connotations – the latter of which refers to victims of fashion (they said if you’re a true fashion enthusiast, you’ll never want to use of the “degrading” word).Robbie Williams’ fashion label went bankrupt October 2013 saw the former Take That heartthrob filed for voluntary bankruptcy for his label Farrell. Williams launched the label in 2011 with confidence, hiring former Burberry creative director Ben Dickens.The Missoni’s tragic year Italian fashion house Missoni greeted 2013 with a tragic news: its CEO Vittorio Missoni and wife were disappeared with the plane taking them to Venezuela. After six months, their bodies were finally found — yet too late already for the house’s founder Ottavio Missoni, who died while waiting for the news on his son.Iman and Naomi Campbell at wars with designers who discriminate black models The two beauties kicked off their Balance Diversity campaign to highlight racial prejudices in the fashion industry. They identified Céline, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Chanel, Armani, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli, Victoria Beckham and Marc by Marc Jacobs as brands who discriminate black models.Other juicy newsAfter being kicked out by Dior in 2011 for his anti-Semitic remarks, John Galliano returned to the fashion scene in January with a temporary residency at Oscar de la Renta. After 20 years of hiatus, veteran designer Pierre Cardin, 91, returned to catwalk in November, holding his “comeback” show in Paris. November also gave fashion-conscious parents another reason to splurge their money: Jean Paul Gaultier finally launched a line for children. German designer Jil Sander left her namesake label for the third time in October, with a rumor saying that the fashion consultant of Uniqlo had another dispute with her brand co-owner, Prada CEO Patrizio Bertelli.http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/blogs/worlds-fashion-scene-things-to-remember-from-2013/

14th of July. In France, they call it the Bastille Day – the celebration marked as their National Day. During the day, they’ll repeat the national slogan “liberté, égalité, fraternité” (freedom, equality and brotherhood) over and over again. Such a beautiful slogan. 14th of July 2013. There I was, among my French and Indonesian friends, right in front of the Eiffel Tower to celebrate the Bastille Day. The slogan “liberté, égalité, fraternité” was heard repeatedly from the loudspeakers near the stage, and written on the giant screen in front of us – all in some special effects. So fancy. But what happened to me just few hours before that wasn’t fancy at all. And it was absolutely far from the “liberté, égalité, fraternité” catchphrase that had been promoted during the Bastille Day. At least for the “égalité” part. Going back some two hours earlier, I was in a bakery shop near the Eiffel Tower with a French friend. We wanted to buy something to eat later while enjoying the performance staged on the Champs de Mars. When my turn arrived, I asked to the female vendor for a piece of pizza. After she reheated the pizza, she put it on a napkin and gave it to me. Since the pizza was very hot and I was planning to eat it later in front of the stage, I asked her nicely, “s’il vous plaît, vous avez une boite ou un sac pour le pizza?” (“do you have a box or a paper bag for the pizza, please?”). The lady looked at me like some kind of virus and to my surprise, she slashed me with some mean words. “I don’t want to give you a box or paper bag. You Asian tourists have no manner, you like to litter everywhere and make Paris dirty!” I was in shock upon hearing her racist remark, and could only said, “Pardon?” She repeated her words and my French friend came forward and tried to calm me down. She whispered to me “calm down Dian, leave her alone, you’d never want to argue with French people. Once they start, they will never stop. Do not lose your time over them”. But of course, I couldn’t just stay silent. I told that racist lady, “I’m Asian, but I’m not tourist. I live in Paris and I speak to you in French. And I don’t litter everywhere like how you accused me!” I was such in a deep shock, because I knew for sure that costumers in front of me were given some paper bags. And besides, what’s wrong with giving a customer a paper bag? Worse, what’s with this racist attitude? After telling her that, she took a small paper bag and threw it on the desk. THREW, not gave. I almost exploded but my French friend dragged me out of the bakery shop quickly. She felt so bad for what just happened. She tried to make me feel better. “Dian, if we’re not rude, we’re not French,” she said in French, trying to make some jokes. Throughout the night, I couldn’t detach my mind from what just happened. Amid beautiful melodies of some French songs performed live by famous singers and the spectacular fireworks, my mind stuck on the slogan “liberté, égalité, fraternité”. As the event came to an end, thousands of people left the place. Then something struck me. This group of people next to us left their empty cans, bottles and food packaging just like that. And they’re no tourists. They’re French.

I recently had an interview with the people behind Le Slip Français, a successful underwear brand in France. But I'm not gonna talk about the underwear business, however sexy it could be. Instead, I'd like to share how their story has reawakened one question I had some time ago: Can the passion of fashion go along with the pride of putting the "Made in Indonesia" label? And if you're an Indonesian fashionpreneur, yes, this question goes to you.

But first of all, a brief story of Le Slip Français. It was 27-year-old Guillaume Gibault who launched the brand in September 2011 out of a bet with his friends that the "Made in France" slogan can actually sell. French people might be proud of wearing underwear from Armani, Calvin Klein and DKNY, but Gibault believed that his "Made in France" premium undies could also win their hearts.

Exploiting the slogan whenever he could — on the logo, products and packaging — Gibault also picked the colors of the French flag for the undies and benefited from the 2012 French presidential election to promote the brand. Long story short, the young entrepreneur won the bet. On the 10th month, he was able to sell some 10,000 briefs, each of which was sold at a starting price of 26 euro ($35).

Gibault's enthusiasm in making "Made in France" a catchphrase reminded me of my interview with an Indonesian fashionpreneur a few years ago. She might be not famous, but her bags are — they are worn by A-list people like Paris Hilton, Emma Thompson, Princess Zara Phillips and Audrey Tautou, as well as being featured in several foreign magazines.

At first I was very proud — I thought, hey, finally, an Indonesian brand! Who knows that some years from now, people don't only talk about LV, Hermes, Chanel... but also about this Indonesian brand. Sadly however, after the interview, I was disappointed by the fact that she was reluctant to put the "Made in Indonesia" label. This, she said, was because the materials of the bags weren't from Indonesia: the laces were from France, the stones were from Africa, and so on. It truly puzzled me. I mean, the bags were made in West Jakarta.

I couldn't help but wondering if there were other reasons for not putting the label and for not even mentioning "Indonesia" in the brand's marketing plan. I thought maybe "Indonesia" doesn't sell, especially when you aim for London, Paris, Milan and New York. Or maybe, just maybe, it's not cool to pin "Made in Indonesia" on your fashionable items. I mean, you're not H&M, Zara or Mango, whose products will still be sought after even if they're manufactured in some third-world countries.

I just hope none of the reasons above was true, though. Imagine if it was, considering how talented Indonesian fashionpreneurs are, and how they could actually take Indonesia to the center stage of the fashion constellation. I mean, we can be more than just a country known as the manufacturing place of global fashion products. We can actually be the one where famous fashion brands are born. Singapore made it with Charles & Keith, so we could too.

I know there are some Indonesian fashion brands sold abroad, but I'm not sure whether or not they proudly disclose their origin. But in another case, I remember my French friends complimented those UP shoes created by Indonesian fashion-blogger turned entrepreneur Diana Rikasari when I showed them online. And with the "Made in Indonesia" slogan being proudly mentioned, I'm sure they would never forget this country, along with those pretty shoes.

I also remember those two times when I took some foreign friends to the Damn I Love Indonesia! boutique owned by presenter Daniel Mananta. They had some fun checking the inner part of each T-shirt to read the brief Indonesian folktales printed inside it.

And I could never forget those excitement every time I showed this one website to my non-Indonesian friends: www.tulisan.com. Tulisan has the cutest and prettiest printed bags and totes I've ever seen — and it proudly mentions "Jakarta" on its label.

The creator, Melissa Sunjaya, said, "Jakarta is not London, Paris, New York or many other great cities. Nevertheless, true beauty does not always spring from gorgeous cities, but it comes from staying true to who we are."

If I see the bags, I don't just see bags — I see stories and feel the passion. I found honesty and a genuine identity. Something that I couldn't find in those high-class bags that traveled from West Jakarta to across the world, then ended up in the hands of Paris Hilton, Emma Thompson, Princess Zara and Audrey Tautou.

No particular political statement had ever really been promoted through wardrobes. Not until Jokowi-Ahok appeared in their signature red-blue-black checkered shirt, which symbolizes their support for the city’s pluralism and their entrepreneurial spirit, as it is mass-produced by home industries and sold to fund their campaign. (Antara Photo/Akbar Nugroho).

Who would wear a checkered shirt in exchange for a free glass of orange juice? A fried rice vendor in Palmerah, Central Jakarta, would and did. Of course the vendor, who said, “I had to stand in a long line in my checkered shirt,” didn’t mean the exact checkered shirt made popular by Jakarta gubernatorial hopeful Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and running mate Basuki Tjahja Purnama (Ahok). It was actually just a random checkered shirt. Yet his story made me realize how this dress-code strategy has created ripples in the current Jakarta election – from the center stage to the fringes of society.

I always remember electoral campaigns in Indonesia as a parade of boring T-shirts, during which candidates and supporters would wear clothes that matched the colors of their parties. In the case of the Jakarta elections, no particular political statement had ever really been promoted through wardrobes. Not until Jokowi-Ahok appeared in their signature red-blue-black checkered shirt, which symbolizes their support for the city’s pluralism and their entrepreneurial spirit, as it is mass-produced by home industries and sold to fund their campaign. Moreover, they pair it with jeans that mirror their relaxed attitudes. When these men showed up for the first time in this look, I knew I’d see other candidates jump on the dress-code bandwagon due to the instant popularity brought about by this strategy. I was right. It wasn’t long until the campaign trail became a runway for candidates to display their fashion choices.

Duo Hidayat Nur Wahid and Didik Rachbini seems to have made the most effort to outshine Jokowi-Ahok’s checkered shirt. The pair launched their “Batik Beresin Jakarta” (“Let’s Tidy Up Jakarta Batik”). In the color of orange – like Jakarta’s soccer team Persija – the batik bears the design of Monas and the city’s skyscrapers. Backed by the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Hidayat even emblazoned his Islamic values on his batik, saying the proceeds of the batik sales would be allocated to wakaf (donations for religious purposes). With Betawi’s pucung rebung batik declining in popularity, Hidayat also told reporters, “We’re the only gubernatorial candidate contributing to the cultural heritage through our ‘Batik Beresin Jakarta.’ No other candidate has done this.”

Well, maybe Hidayat didn’t consider the “Si Pitung” style adopted by Hendardji Soepandji and Ahmad Riza as an homage to traditional Betawi culture. In any case, dressing up like a legendary Betawi hero has at least raised the fashion bar in this election, where candidates come out in a Muslim koko shirt with a sarong draped around the shoulders, a black peci and tribal pants occasionally adorned with a traditional big belt. Considering that politicians dress up to relate to their audience, the pair seems to say to the Betawi people: “Hey, we’re one of you!” Only, they have to watch out because incumbent Fauzi Bowo and running mate Nachrowi Ramli are trying to say the same. Yes, it appears that Foke and Nachrowi prefer the Betawi beskap (traditional blazer) with half-folded sarong on their waists – although they sometimes wear koko shirts too. Given that a beskap was originally used by Javanese aristocrats, this pair seems to want to create an image of experienced high-ranking officials.

I remember our office driver complimenting Fauzi as the most gagah (strong and manly) candidate – thanks to the beskap, as we passed the governor’s banner. Yet, at the same time, he also said Fauzi looked arrogant. His statement confirms how a candidate’s appearance can appear intimidating and unapproachable. Perhaps the remaining candidates, Faisal Basri-Biem Benjamin and Alex Noerdin-Nono Sampono, thought about this too, so they went for simple white shirts. While Alex-Nono put on short-sleeve shirts, Faisal-Biem picked the long-sleeve ones. Faisal rolls up his sleeves, though, saying it symbolizes his readiness to work hard. In choosing white, he said, it shows their commitment to fight for a clean government. In terms of grabbing attention, these two pairs might be less noticeable, but in my view, they wanted to blend in and look real. It’s like they’re saying, “We’re not way out of your league.”

Some might say this whole appearance-oriented campaign lacks substance. After all, you should vote based on the plans and programs proposed by the candidates. However, it’s undeniable that fashion can serve as a window to the complex world of politics. We remember how Al Gore chose to wear earth tones in his presidential campaign, as advised by consultant Naomi Wolf, to attract the female votes. Then we have Rick Santorum and his famous V-neck sweater vest in this year’s Republican presidential bid.

All this dressing thing might seem artificial, but any consultant would tell you that memorable appearances can leave a mark in voters’ minds. Or at the very least, it can help voters identify candidates when they’re looking at the ballot. After all, for politicians, it’s the votes that count in the end.

Fashion and food don’t usually go together and some might hard to find a correlation between the two. Nonetheless, we’ve seen a trend in recent years where these two worlds meet at an intersection, creating new stories. The Council of Fashion Designers of America once published a cookbook; Marni and Christian Louboutin collaborated with Parisian patisserie Ladurée to make fashionable macaroons; Ralph Lauren opened posh restaurants; and numerous designers have created outfits from chocolate for the annual "Le Salon du Chocolat" trade show held in several countries.

In Indonesia, the fusion of fashion and food takes a different story, where a feast of six senses – taste, sight, touch, smell, hearing and mind – takes the nation’s pride along the way. The story is called the Jakarta Fashion and Food Festival (JFFF). In its ninth year of existence now, I was curious of how a previously small local event could blossom into an iconic, much-anticipated annual festivity.

For three non-consecutive days, I tried to see what this festival is bringing this year through its "Innofashion" theme, while finding an answer to my curiosity. From some small talks with the organizer and participating designers, I realized the event’s success lies in the willingness to continuously make improvements despite praise and criticism. While it started out with some international designers and models as part of its attraction, for instance, JFFF today is focusing on Indonesian talents.

"We talked to other parties, listened to their inputs and grew from there," Cut Meutia, GM Corporate Communication of Summarecon Agung, recalls the years when they seek the right formula to bring forward Indonesia's fashion and culinary traditions. In fact, it was only after the first three years when they hit the jackpot, after receiving an input from former Culture and Tourism Minister I Gde Ardika.

"At that time, he told us that Indonesia’s cultural riches are indeed very potential, yet to incorporate them into an industry, we can’t display them just like that. We can just hold a "wayang" (Javanese puppet) show all night long, but it will only attract people who like it to watch it," Meutia says. "If we want to attract more people then we have to do more. We have to think how to package it in interesting ways – maybe give some laser or digital touch."

Ardika’s input led to a new awareness, that one could display the country’s entire cultural heritage, but endorsing them without a smart approach would still make them distant from our daily life. From here, JFFF moved forward to combine the traditional and modern aspects of fashion and culinary sectors.

This year’s theme "Innofashion," for example, conveys a message that innovation enables both sectors to progress, while still allowing them to maintain their traditional characteristics. Famous designer Priyo Oktaviano, for example, adopts modern scientific R&D in reacquiring the ancient skill of natural dyeing technique for his Kawaii-Bali ready-to-wear collection -- a fresh twist of Balinese "rang-rang" woven.

"Each year, we’re looking for something new to endorse to the public. Like this year, we come out with Tidayu batik from Singkawang, which is uniquely influenced by Tionghoa, Dayak and Melayu cultures," Meutia reveals.

One could underestimate how this kind of fashion event -- that highlights big designers -- plays roles in supporting local artisans. But a chat with Sjamsidar Isa of Cita Tenun Indonesia, a foundation working with fashion designers in developing local artisans, reveals that such an effort has increased the artisans’ sales revenues by at least three folds.

"Through their participation in this kind of event, local artisans could also nurture their marketing sense," Sjamsidar says.

So, if you’re interested in discovering the precious Indonesian art-wear made by these local artisans and famous designers, JFFF is opening a space at Kelapa Gading Mall – called Fashion Village – until May 27. Here, you’ll get the chance to own some of designers’ works at discounted prices.

After your fashion experience is taken care of, you might also want to head off to Kampoeng Tempo Doeloe (KTD) -- not far from Fashion Village -- to check out JFFF’s culinary treats. Just imagine: 50 food sellers are ready to delight your tongue with Indonesian traditional dishes and old Dutch-style specialties. Embracing the old Batavia ambiance, KTD is waiting for you until June 3, and here you’ll be spoiled by live music performances.

Next year, JFFF will celebrate its first decade, and so I hope the festival will continue to breath new life into Indonesia's fashion and culinary traditions. I believe that a festivity should be more than just an event, and JFFF is an ideal platform to support the creative-cultural industry, where our products that are based on Indonesian unique heritage will score amid the uniformity brought by the global market.

This week, I decided to write my first open response toan article from a fashion lawyer, who wrote her counter-argument to my article here. This response serves as my responsibility for the Jakarta Globe.

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Dear Patricia,

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and opinion with us. I greatly appreciate it. It has somewhat proved me that Fashion is such a sexy issue (I mean, something that we can actually discuss, not just something that appears glamorous and ‘shallow’).

First of all, I just want to underline that my article doesn’t intend to “support/encourage” copycats/counterfeiters (especially in Indonesia). I’m sorry if you got that impression, but when I said “copycats in Indonesia should not worry”, I was actually being cynical.

Secondly, I want to make it straight that when I said “Intellectual Protection”, I simply meant it for the “designs”, not the “brands” or anything related to it. Please carefully note that I wrote:

"That’s why, apart from the logo or trademark part, intellectual property protection is a bit impractical in this industry."

So yes, apart from the logo or trademark part, and please note that my theme was “Inspiration vs Plagiarism” -- something that is closely related to the design aspect.

Thirdly, I once wrote about this issue too for another media, of which, if you read it thoroughly, shows that I’ve never encouraged copycats/counterfeiters in Indonesia. The article is titled “Fashion Pirates Find Gold in Stylish Fakes”, and it can be accessed here. The article was originally 1,200-something-words, and intended for a special report. But the one you would read is not even 800 words because it was slashed due to an editorial decision to move it to the front page. So, again, sorry if the content couldn’t satisfy you as someone with an expertise in this area. If you read the article carefully, you will find that my opinion saying “intellectual protection is a bit impractical in this industry” simply derived from my past and current interviews on this matter (apart from the Joanna Blakley’s view).

In that “Fashion Pirate” article, on the last paragraph, I wrote:

"PT Mitra Adi Perkasa (MAP), Indonesia's leading retail marketer of brand-name products, said counterfeiting well-known designs was inevitable and difficult to prevent. 'It is difficult to control such practices. But as long as it doesn't greatly affect our sales, we won't bother taking further action,' said Ratih D. Gianda, MAP head of investor relations. "

A bit information, MAP is the franchise holder of several brands in Indonesia like ZARA, Topshop, Topman, Chloe, CK, Marks & Spencer, Dorothy Perkins, Giorgio Armani, Kipling, MaxMara, Massimo Dutti and many more. Thus, if even a big company like MAP chooses not to really care about the counterfeiting issue, then, I can safely say that IP would be useless to be applied in Indonesia (sure you can say the way around, but it’s better for you get some related quotes from people in the industry, the way I did with comments from five sources—three of them are fashion designers. Maybe some would say that I should have mentioned MAP’s comment in this JG article, but as a writer, I don’t want to appear lazy (copy-pasting my old interviews for another media to my new article for JG). Other than that, I had to respect Jakarta Globe’s rule stipulating that an article should be less than 800 words (and even with more than 800 words, I still found my article slashed here and there). I don’t know how did you get the privilege to write over 1,000 words for your article, but if I were allowed to do so, believe me, I would have put more interviews and insights. For an example, I would have written more about Anne Avantie’s experiences in IP case. For your information, she once believed in IP – she registered her designs, only to find out that it was all useless. She then made peace with copycats. And as for Daniel Mananta, he told me that the counterfeited products could never win the quality of his products, so he didn’t want to think about such a competition. You can say whatever you want, that designers are not OK with copycats in Indonesia, but I have my own interviews that proved the opposite :)

Fourthly, you wrote:

“Why be concerned about luxury Western brands whose only connection to Indonesia is a store used to sell their expensive goods. Why not be concerned about counterfeiters of local brands made by people you know and who have a legitimate connection to the country?”

Who said I only put concern on Western brands? Please take a look at my sentence carefully. I put weight on “low-end counterfeiters” and I mentioned “Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi etc” simply because they made only as some examples. I would want to mention local brands like “Yongki Komaladi, Sophie Martin, etc”, but it would sound ridiculous as I couldn’t really find their copies. Yongki’s shoes are affordable enough at traditional markets (Rp 35,000, per pair from previous seasons).

Fifthly, you wrote:

“The IP mechanisms in Indonesia are limited. First to file — not first to use — is the policy. Anyone can register a trademark even if they are not associated with it, simply because they registered first. A man once registered the Prada trademark in Indonesia and Prada had to fight it.”

Yes, I mentioned about this story too in my Fashion Pirates article:

"A few years ago, of a dispute between Italy-based Prada S.A., owners of the Prada brand since 1913, and an Indonesian citizen Fahmi Babra. By registering the brand name Prada in Indonesia in 1995, Fahmi was allowed to use the Prada brand on his products. Prada S.A. took the case to court and was eventually named the official trademark owner of Prada in the country."

However, according to Ansori Sinungan, the director for copyrights at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the policy you mentioned was a thing of the past. Now, he said, Indonesia is already in compliance with a World Trade Organization agreement to protect brand-name products. So there’s an update in the policy in Indonesia, and I expect you to have known this better.

I hope my explanations can serve you well, and that it can straighten the misunderstanding that can occur to other people reading your post (before reading mine).

Jessica Simpson is under fire following a plagiarism accusation of her latest Evangela shoes, which bear a strong resemblance to Christian Louboutin’s Stratata heels.

It might be a world full of colors, but the fashion world does have a gray zone in which we can find felines and copycats — those who inspire as opposed to those who imitate. But sometimes you can’t tell them apart, because in this industry one can play both roles.

Take singer-turned-designer Jessica Simpson, who is dubbed an inspiring fashion icon. Who would think someone like her would rip off other designers’ work? This Hollywood darling is under fire following a plagiarism accusation of her latest Evangela shoes, which bear a strong resemblance to Christian Louboutin’s Stratata heels (What do you think? http://bit.ly/ItFkah). This, sadly, is not the first time. Five years ago, Simpson was accused of copying Rafe Totengco’s Rivington handbag (You can spot the similarities here: http://bit.ly/IFppow).

The list of plagiarism battles in the fashion industry is long. Ivanka Trump was once challenged by Derek Lam for her Caddie wedges. The famous Kate Middleton’s wedding gown by Sarah Burton was said to have copied the one worn by another royal, Isabella Orsini, two years earlier. Then who can forget the Louboutin vs. Yves Saint Laurent court saga over red sole shoes? We can still witness that legal fight between Gucci and Guess over the interlocking “G” pattern.

Where does this lead? The gray zone, where inspiration and plagiarism are separated with a blurred line. Yes, in this industry, there’s nothing really new. Designers refer to one another, make some tweaks here and there and voila: A trend is created and this is what makes fashion exist. In fact, fashion weeks are events where the industry’s players gather to get inspiration from others ­— or, for some, to plagiarize what they think could sell in the market. If you enter fast-fashion stores like Zara, H&M or Topshop, you’ll see clothes that are copies of what you’ve seen at fashion weeks.

That’s why, apart from the logo or trademark part, intellectual property protection is a bit impractical in this industry. Why? Intellectual property protection is somehow counterproductive to the idea of creating trends. According to Johanna Blakley, deputy director of Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California, apparel is considered too utilitarian to copyright, and what an academic considers plagiarism, fashion designers view as inspiration. As long as this ambiguity persists, we are likely to continue see battles among fashion designers.

In Indonesia, however, copycats shouldn’t worry. This country is an exception in this kind of saga. Indonesian designers are fairly generous in the copy-paste case. Famous designer Anne Avantie is one example. Just a few days after the media published her kebaya creations from a fashion show, you could already find their copies in places like Tanah Abang market and even luxurious boutiques.

Copycats work fast. But Anne doesn’t resent it. “If I can inspire many people, I’m just happy. If copying my works means a way for them to earn a living, then at least I know I’ve shared my talent and luck with others,” Anne said after her book launch in Jakarta recently.

On similar grounds, TV presenter Daniel Mananta, who designs Indonesian-flavored T-shirts under his label “DAMN!” (a shortening of his name), thinks copycats actually make his works more famous.

“When I saw many clones of my T-shirts, I just smiled. It means a free promotional campaign for me, because it has actually brought them to people’s attention,” he said. “Sooner or later, people would be curious enough to find the original versions.”

Daniel and Anne’s responses are somewhat in the same positive tone like that of famous Pakistani designer duo Sana Safinaz, whose works are said to have inspired Valentino after they appeared in Vogue India. But while some people were annoyed with the resemblance, Safinaz Munir, as quoted by Times of India, simply said, “I found it very flattering and then amusing when people started calling us to ask whether we had started working for Valentino.”

Perhaps it’s just a matter of Asian characteristics — friendly and forgiving. Or maybe, for some designers, plagiarism is something they cannot fight, so the best or easiest way to deal with it is by taking the whole thing as a tribute. Who doesn’t love to be the source of inspiration?

In the meantime, it seems like plagiarism and inspiration walk hand-in-hand in the fashion industry. Both help the industry stay alive. What about those low-end counterfeiters of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, etc. — who are the real criminals? They surely are our main concern, but some say even they play a role in the creation of global trends.

It seems that April didn’t dare fool fashion addicts this year, when rumors surrounding Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (also known as H&M) eventually fell to places. If you’re among the brand’s enthusiasts, you must have known that the company finally confirmed that it will open a new store chain under the name “& Other Stories.” And as style devotees around the globe shared in the excitement, their Indonesian counterparts followed a similar craze when H&M named Indonesia as its flagship destination next year.

What does this mean? For Indonesian fashion lovers, new, pretty stuff would find its way into their closets (“hooray!”). For the non-enthusiasts, by contrast, it simply means they would see another international fashion chain making its way to shopping malls (“again?”).

Honestly, I found myself among those dancing and shouting “hooray” (yes, guilty as charged). As a fan of H&M, I always find the high-street retailer has fashionable yet affordable and beautiful things from head to toe. Despite the fact that some of their products were made and tailored in countries like China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia (and surely Indonesia) I still find their quality quite acceptable. I mean, talking about “chic & cheap,” it really is the place, considering people can get a piece of big names like Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Roberto Cavalli, Jimmy Choo and Marni in H&M stores with reasonable prices.

However, after a day-dreaming session of me doing my weekend ritual in an H&M store in a Jakarta mall, something knocked me in the head. I suddenly doubted that the “chic & cheap” mantra would be applied in Indonesia, where most western fashion brands have been turned into expensive labels. I believe those who have experience splurging euros or dollars for fashion abroad know what I mean. In their home countries, certain brands might be just “some brand,” with reasonable prices and all.

In Indonesia by contrast, all those brands were repositioned as premium or high-end labels. Not just in terms of the price aspect, of course, but more like the way fast-fashion brands like ZARA, Mango, Topshop, Gap, Forever 21, Stradivarius and Bershka were brought to a higher podium where they appear fancier, with more glitter and gold. This similarly goes to casual fashion brands, such as Kipling. In a European country, you can find Kipling’s authentic, latest editions, even in small stores in remote city and hanging like those fake Coach bags in Mangga Dua. No one really thinks they have the air of luxury. Here, on the other hand, the brand appears as some kind of a high-class label.

I think there’s something about Indonesians when it comes to Western fashion brands, and I was intrigued to follow up with this curiosity. At first, I thought it was simply because of our impression toward imported products. But as I went beyond, I’ve realized that for Indonesians, the motivation behind wearing Western brands is to upgrade their image.

Simply said, we want to get our self-representation transformed into something others think better of. So, considering this, I think it makes sense why international retailers or their franchisees took the decision to reposition their brands in Indonesia. They know if something appears more luxurious or premium, it would make a greater seduction for Indonesians seeking a fresh image.

If you doubt this, I found an interesting view from the CEO of global consulting firm Vivaldi Partners Group, Erich Joachimsthaler, in Harvard Business Review. In his reply to the question “What is the right entry point for emerging markets?”, Joachimsthaler said that premium positioning is the only way for brand success in emerging Asian markets.

“The company that enters the middle of the market with an average offering will find it extremely difficult to compete profitably over time,” he argued. Marketing expert Radha Chadha and retail-development consultant Paul Husband, on the other hand, said that many Asian women turned to Western designer clothes because they don’t know how to dress otherwise (ouch!). Especially in countries that emphasize “face” and bringing honor to the family, easy-to-recognize designer labels are a welcome opportunity to flaunt wealth, they said.

So, it’s the moment of truth now: How does this affect your next purchase of Western fashion brands? Will you start to reconsider your fashion statement or continue to make it even bolder? Surely, personal experiences bring different answers. I, personally, stick to the principle of “as long as it’s functional and I love it, and I’ll take it.”

After all, like Oscar de la Renta once said, “When a woman falls in love with something so much that she wants to wear it, it’s at that point that it becomes fashion.”